The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-04-28
OUR RURAL TOPICS.
Some Practical Suggestions for Our
Agricultural Readers
RUNTS.

RUNTs.
Some animals are born "runts" Does il pay
to raise them? Is it not more economical to
kill them as soon as their rImtiness is Observed
The runty pigs are usually put in a pen and
given TO the wife or daughter. She is told that
if she gives it the Stops from the house. ETC.. she
may have what the hog brings when it is big
and fat. The fact that in many cases she does
not get the money when the hog is sold, does not
deter her from giving the pig all the slOps and
milk it can drink. 1t also gets the crusts, re-
fuse vegetables, Feelings, ETC.. from the kitchen;
and quite often the zeal of the woman makes
the feed of the pig quite expensive. Kept in
confinement and fed rich, sloppy food, the pig
increases rapidly in size but gains more in size
than in weight. If put out with the other
swine, on grass aud exercise, its pot-bclly dis
appears, it gets pointy, and loses in size, though
not so much in weight. As it comes from the
pen it is more gut than bone, more slOp than
muscle. Its flesh is soft and 1abby. When
put on harder, drier food, and allowed to take
some exercise, both of which are essential to
firm, sweet, wholesome flesh, the fact becomes
painfully apparent that its growth in the pen
We believe that the best thing to do is to kill
the runt at once. If a pig or lamb, its value
can be but little The loss will hardly equal
the cost required to bring the animal to a self
supporting basis. In the case of 4 calf longer
period of probation may be given; and ordi-
narily the chances are In favor of bringing
colt through. Yet We are of opinion that such
is the inclination TO keep rather than to sacri-
flee the runt, that the best advice is to kill
without delay, provided it is not of a choice
breed and worth the cost of the extra care nee
essary to bring up to somewhat normal con-
dition, but this is not often profitable.
FEEDING CALVES.
The milk of the mother, drawn from the
udder by the calf is the best and most natural
food that calf can have, but economical and
other considerations come in TO prevent this
natural method Of bringing up calves, although
il may be practiced by breeders of pure-blood
stock. Among dairymen the cream or con-
siderable part of the milk may be desired, and so
natural methods must be supplanted by some ac-
ceptabe artificial ones. 1t is better, if calf is TO
be raised, to teach il TO drink, and to do this as
soon as posi- bic after tits dropped then after it
gets good start by the use of full new milk, its
feed may be gradually changed by substituting
skim milk aud linseed or flaxseed cruel, or it
may also be fed with oatmeal, ground reason
ably fine, with the bulls bolted or sifted out.
The only point to be considered is to secure
ration that is rs rich as the new milk of the
cow. Boil pint of flaxsced or oil meal in 10
or II quarts Of water, and then mix this with
skim milk in the proportion of about one part
10 three, feeding blood warm. Use OCCASION
ally little oatmeal. If there is a tendency to
scour, for two or three meals give in the milk a
quart of common wheat -four Pea meal is
good with skim milk. In this way the rich
ness of the milk removed by skimming is re-
stored, and even its5yalue increased if desired.
LIGHTNEss OF TOOLS.
In the selection Of tools and machines, light
ness is too often overlooked. A proper design,
strength and good material are essential; but
To the proper working Of the tool, lightness is
equally important. An oyer-weighty imple-
mcnt is clumsy one hence, it makes work
slower and more labbrious Economy of energy
in the execution of work must be aimed at and
il cannot be attained with useessly heavy
tools Manufacturers find iron cheaper than
wood: hence, iron is often used when wood
would answer the purpose as well, and be
lighter. IL would be better 10 pay little more
for the implement, if necessary. and get wood
in place of iron. Some thoughtlessly prefer
iron TO wood because it occupies less space, and
its use makes neater-l looking implement. I'm
fortunately they please their eyes at the ex-
pense of their teams or the amount of work
done. Iron and steel have their proper places
and for various parts in many implements are
better than wood; but wood also has its proper
places where it is better than iron or Steel and
should be put in those places.
NOTES.
- Sour milk will soon faint cream and make
"Of" butter.
Good feeding is the secret success in sheep
husbandry.
- Hogs are rated by live weight in the West
and by dressed weight in the East.
Il
divided as follows: Shell, 107; white, 60l, and
yelk, 2S9.
- Linseed meal is getting cheaper. Every
young animal will be the better for little,
aud the old ones also.
Keep the ground about newly-set fruit
trees clean and mellow for distance of at least
| six feet from the trees
To remove turnip flavor from butter:
Niter, or; water 20 or; dissolve, aud put one
tablespoonful into the milk.
There is nothing better for wives and
daughters, physically, than 10 have the care of
garden-a flower-plot, if nothing more.
- The most successful shepherd of the future
| will have his mutton on the market as regu-
/ larly and in as good condition as his wool. This
same man will make both products rs good as
| possible.
A colt once stunted never fully RECEIVERS
from the effects. 1t is quite necessary, then,
| that colts be kept steadily growing during the
Winter, even il it requires special care and at
/ tentiOn to oft.
If the wool of the sheep becomes wet it
| dries very slowly aud only by chilling the ami
NAL through. Shelter from rain and snow es-
! pecially the former, is therefore more important
than protection from cold. If sheep is
chilled so as TO give it cold or fever, the fiber
of the wool is injured.
The friends Of Suffolk swine claim that in
! all the qualities that constitute perfect ami.
mai for producing the most pork of the best
| quality at the least cost this breed stands I'M
rivaled by any in the United States. In the
! West the Suffolk never had many friends
among practical feeders, and still less now than
\ ever.
- Potatoes do we'll on corn land that has
/ been MANFRED for the corn crop. Good sod
/ land can also be used. A deep, mellow seed
! bed should be secured by deep blowing and
! thorough pulyeriZing. Manure aud moisture
are essentials. Old stable manure can be
/ plOwcd in. Some Of thelbest crops are raised
! with commercial fertilizers.
- Where corn is left ont in the stock through
the Winter the greater part of its value is lost.
| Rains and melting SHOWS soak and drain the
! stalks of their nutriment, while inside the
stock mice pursue their rayages without fear
/ of their numerous enemies a family of mice
/ will easily destroy Onc-quarter OF the value of
/ the corn ia stock through the Winter.
- Some Maine farmers have been testing the
| system of raising corn for the canning factories
with fertilizers exclusively, and find they can
all ~ fnidpr and Same cash above "a